Identifying Federal Political Appointees: The Plum Book and Plum Reporting Website

November 9, 2026 R49512

Identifying Federal Political Appointees: The Plum Book and Plum Reporting Website

November 9, 2026 (R49512)
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Contents

Summary

There are many federal civil service leadership and support positions in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government that may be subject to noncareer (political) appointments. The nature of these positions varies widely and includes positions such as agency heads and their immediate subordinates, policy executives and advisors, and aides who report to these officials. Since 1952, successive volumes of United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions have identified the positions in the federal government to which political appointments can be made. The book is often referred to as the "Plum Book" due to both the purple cover of the physical book and the list of positions found within its pages. In 2022, Congress passed legislation requiring the information in the Plum Book to be published in an online database.

Congress may be interested in identifying certain information about these positions. Such information could include, for each position, its title, type of appointment, name of individual(s) currently holding the role, location, salary, tenure (if applicable), and expiration date of the term (if applicable).

This report provides a brief history and overview of the Plum Book and Plum Reporting website, an explanation of the various political appointment types listed on the website, and examples of regional positions within federal agencies.

United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (The "Plum Book")

After winning the presidential election in 1952, President Eisenhower requested a list of federal government positions to which he could make noncareer appointments. As a result, the United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions book1 was created. The book is often referred to as the "Plum Book" due to both the purple cover of the physical book and the list of positions found within its pages. Since 1960, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Government Reform (and the committees' predecessors) alternately published new editions of the Plum Book every four years.

The major categories of positions listed in the Plum Book include the following:

  • Executive Schedule and salary-equivalent positions paid at the rates established for levels I through V of the Executive Schedule
  • Senior Executive Service "General" positions
  • Senior Foreign Service positions
  • Schedule C positions excepted from the competitive service by the President or by the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties
  • Other positions at the GS-14 level and above excepted from the competitive civil service by law because of the confidential or policy-determining nature of the position duties2

The Plum Reporting Website

In 2022, Congress passed the Periodically Listing Updates to Management Act (or PLUM Act) as a title of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.3 The PLUM Act requires the OPM director to establish and maintain an online database4—entitled the "Plum Reporting website" 5—of content previously published in the Plum Book.6

As seen in the Figure 1 screenshot below, this database lists positions in the federal government to which political appointments can be made. The database is organized by appointing agency and generally includes, for each position, position title, name of incumbent, geographic location of the position, type of appointment, salary,7 and (if an appointment to the office has a fixed term) its length and expiration date.8 In some cases, it also lists individuals serving in acting roles.9

Figure 1. Screenshot of Plum Reporting Website Layout

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/.

Notes: Information regarding the abbreviations under the "Type of Appointment" column in Figure 1 can be found in the "A Brief Overview of Select Political Appointment Types" section. For information regarding the abbreviations under the "Pay Plan" column in Figure 1, see footnote 7 and Office of Personnel Management, "Federal Pay Plans and Schedules," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/pay-plans-and-schedules/.

Additionally, though the screenshot of the Plum Reporting website above notes that Todd Blanche serves as Acting Attorney General, the day the screenshot was taken (September 27, 2026), he was no longer in the role as an acting individual. Rather, Blanche was confirmed to the Attorney General role on August 8, 2026. This is an example of how the website is typically not updated in real time. For more information, see page 3 of this report.

Not every listed position on the Plum Reporting website has an entry in every column. For example, the expiration column will have an entry only if the incumbent is serving in a position that has a fixed term.10

The information on the website is self-reported by each agency, and OPM publishes updates. It is typically not updated in real time. Under Title 5, Section 3330f(4)(A), of the U.S. Code, agency heads are required to provide updates not less than once a year on the policy and supporting positions in the agency, appointees occupying such positions, and appointees formerly occupying the positions.

While agencies are required to certify that the information provided is complete and accurate,11 the data provided on the website is only as current as the most recent update conducted by OPM. This issue of currency could result in discrepancies between an agency's real-time appointment numbers and those provided in the database.

Figure 2. Screenshot of the Plum Reporting Website Search Filters and Tools

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/.

Plum Reporting Website Searches

The Plum Reporting website provides drop-down categories that allow searching and filtering by agency12 (e.g., department, independent regulatory, boards and commissions) and component13 (e.g., bureau, office). By clicking "Advanced Filters" at the top right-hand corner of the search box, a user can additionally search by position, type of appointment, pay plan, and position status.14 The screenshot in Figure 2 displays what the website looks like when "Advanced Filters" is checked.

The database also has the following search features available:

  • Filtering by Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Act agencies15 only feature. This feature restricts results to positions within CFO agencies.16 The toggle for the feature is located above the search filters and to the right of the "Agency" drop-down box.
  • "Display Historical Data" feature. This feature shows historical data for a position along with the current result. When this feature is activated, the name of the prior incumbent will appear below the current incumbent, and the dates of service will display below the position title (which can be clicked to display the position lineage). OPM notes that when a user clicks on a historical result, "historical records only include incumbencies within the current administration." This button is located under the search filters and above the results on the right-hand side of the page.
  • "Search within results" feature. This feature allows a user to type keywords to filter results. This text box is located under the search filters and above the results on the right-hand side of the page.
  • "Download" feature. This feature allows a user to download all data in the Plum Reporting dataset in a CSV file (a type of file in the format of a spreadsheet). Once the data is downloaded, a user can filter or sort the data into a spreadsheet format. This download button is located under the search filters and above the results on the right-hand side of the page. It is labeled "All Data (CSV)" in blue text.
  • "Sort by" feature. This feature allows a user to sort results by position title; expiration date; ID; level, grade, or pay; location; name of incumbent; pay plan; tenure; or type of appointment. This drop-down menu is located under the search filters and above the results on the left-hand side of the page.

Positions may not always appear under their expected respective bureaus or offices. This may depend on how a department decides to submit a position for the website.17

Vacant Positions

In addition to the position titles and names of the incumbents, the Plum Reporting website also lists the vacancy status of a position.18 As mentioned previously, because the Plum Reporting website's data is typically not updated in real time, some of the information in the database may not be current.

Those seeking vacancy information may wish to supplement their Plum Reporting website searches by consulting the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Vacancy Tracker,19 federal agency websites, and Congress.gov's nominations database20 as additional resources. It can be difficult to establish with certainty whether an agency, without a formal announcement, either (1) filled a vacancy by designating an individual to serve in an acting capacity or (2) assigned the duties of a vacant position to a current employee who is still officially occupying his or her current position.

Figure 3. Screenshot of the Plum Reporting Website Displaying a Vacancy

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/.

On the Plum Reporting website itself, positions listed as vacant do not display the appointment type associated with the position, as seen above in Figure 3. OPM notes that this is because "several categories of positions can be filled by more than one type of appointment, e.g., Senior Executive Service (SES) positions listed in this publication may be filled by using career, noncareer, limited emergency, or limited term appointment authorities."21

If a user, keeping this OPM treatment of the appointment type in mind, clicks the drop-down and searches for a specific "Type of Appointment," the database will display both the relevant filled and vacant positions matching those criteria, even if the listed vacant positions themselves do not actively display an appointment type on the screen.

Additionally, if the Plum Reporting website data is downloaded into a CSV file, vacant positions will display their associated types of appointment in Column E of the downloaded spreadsheet. An example can be seen in Figure 4. This may be useful when attempting to identify vacant positions with presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS) and presidentially appointed (PA) appointment types. For such positions, the category of position cannot be filled by more than one appointment type, so the appointment type should appear in every case.

Figure 4. Screenshot of a CSV File That Displays Downloaded Data from The Plum Reporting Website

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/.

Historical Federal Political Appointment Information

The website also hosts a Plum Archive,22 which includes an Excel spreadsheet of positions listed on the website during the Biden Administration (January 21, 2021, through January 20, 2025) and PDFs of the published Plum Book editions from 2016, 2020, and 2024.23 Because of the snapshot nature of Plum Book data, it may not be comprehensive or include all previous positions or prior incumbents.

A Brief Overview of Select Political Appointment Types

The Plum Reporting website includes positions that can be filled through political (or noncareer) appointment. It does not include positions in the civil service that are filled through a competitive hiring process.24

A brief description of the position types listed in the database is provided below.

  • Presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed (PAS). These positions are often referred to as "advice and consent positions" or "PAS positions." PAS positions are filled through nomination of an individual by the President. The President submits the nomination to the Senate for its consideration.25 When the Senate confirms a nomination, the President may formally appoint the individual to the position. Under certain circumstances, the President can exercise constitutional recess appointment authority to appoint an individual to an office while the Senate is in recess.26 Most PAS appointees serve at the pleasure of the President.27
  • The Plum Reporting website does not list positions in the judicial branch, such as U.S. circuit court and district judge positions, though these positions are presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed.28
  • Presidentially appointed. These positions are often referred to as "PA" positions. A PA appointment requires the President to select and appoint an individual for the position. No Senate confirmation is required. Most PA appointees serve at the pleasure of the President.29
  • Schedule C. Schedule C appointees serve in confidential or policy-determining positions.30 Such appointments do not go through a merit-based competitive hiring process. Rather, in most cases, an agency submits a request to OPM to place a position in a Schedule C appointment category, and the authorization and granting of each position is considered on a case-by-case basis.31 Schedule C appointees "serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority (usually the agency head) and may be removed at any time."32 OPM states that "Schedule C positions authorized by OPM are automatically revoked when the incumbent leaves the position (i.e., there is no such thing as a 'vacant' Schedule C position)." If an individual departs a role and a "vacancy" occurs, the agency must submit to OPM a new request to fill the position as a Schedule C appointment type.
  • Career Senior Executive Service (SES) appointment. Career SES appointees typically serve in top-level policy and supervisory roles.33 These positions are filled through a merit-based competitive hiring process. Generally, incumbents may be removed from the SES for less than fully successful executive performance.34 Career appointees who are removed from the SES for performance reasons may be placed in non-SES civil service positions.35 Career appointees may also be removed generally from federal service for misconduct, neglect of duty, malfeasance, or failure to accept a directed reassignment or to accompany a position in a transfer of function.36
  • Most SES positions are filled through career appointments.37 And, not all career SES positions are listed on the Plum Reporting website. For example, the website does not include SES positions that are "career reserved."38 Approximately half of federal SES positions fall into this category. Career-reserved positions may be filled only through career appointments and therefore do not meet the criteria for inclusion in the Plum Book or Plum Reporting website. OPM publishes an annual list of "career reserved" SES positions in the Federal Register.39
  • Noncareer SES appointment. Noncareer SES appointees are not hired through a competitive process. However, they must meet the position qualifications,40 and OPM must generally approve an agency's use of noncareer hiring authority. A noncareer appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority (usually the agency head) and may be removed at any time.41 Up to 10% of SES positions across the executive branch may be filled by noncareer appointees at any given time.42 The proportion of noncareer appointees may vary by agency, however, so noncareer appointments at some agencies may exceed 10%, while such appointments at other agencies may be fewer than 10%. Generally, no agency may exceed a 25% limit.43
  • Limited term SES appointment (TA). Limited term appointees typically serve in short-term project-related or presidential transition roles. Their service may not exceed a period of three years.44 Such an appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority (usually the agency head) and may be removed at any time. By law, limited appointments may not exceed 5% of all SES positions government-wide.45
  • Limited emergency SES appointment (EA). Limited emergency appointees typically serve in short-term roles to meet urgent and unanticipated needs. Their service may not exceed a period of 18 months.46 Such an appointee serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority (usually the agency head) and may be removed at any time.
  • Appointment excepted by statute (XS). These appointments are authorized by the parent agencies' governing legislation and are subject to the terms of said legislation. Sometimes these positions are referred to as excepted service positions.47

Identifying Political Appointee Positions Located at the State, City, or Regional Level

Congressional offices may be interested in identifying political appointee positions located at the state, city, or regional level.

While the Plum Reporting website lists some positions that are appointed to specific states or districts,48 such as U.S. Marshals and U.S. Attorneys, it does not list any U.S. district or circuit judge positions.49

Below, CRS has included several screenshots from the Plum Reporting website of searches for political appointee positions at the state, city, and regional levels.

Searching by State Name

Figure 5. Screenshot of the Plum Reporting Website Displaying a State Name Search

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/

To identify positions located in a specific state or city, a user can either search for a city or state within the "Search Within Results" box on the Plum Reporting website (see screenshots above and below) or download the dataset into a CSV file and filter it by location, found in column G of the downloaded spreadsheet.

When searching using the "Search Within Results" box on the Plum Reporting website, incomplete results may occur. For example, typing the state name may pull up positions that have the state name in the position titles but may not capture all positions located in the state.50 Similarly, typing a state abbreviation into the "Search Within Results" may pull up extraneous results in addition to positions within the state.51

As such, trying a variety of search options may yield more comprehensive results.

Searching by City

Figure 6. Screenshot of the Plum Reporting Website Displaying a City Name Search

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/

The Plum Book website notes that the "Washington, D.C." location includes positions in the entire metropolitan area and therefore may include some areas of Maryland and Virginia.52

Searching by Region

Figure 7. Screenshot of the Plum Reporting Website Displaying a Regional Search

Source: Office of Personnel Management, "PLUM Reporting: Plum Data," September 27, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-data/

To identify political appointee positions located at the regional level, a user can type "region" into the "Position" drop-down filter on the Plum Reporting website in order to find positions with the word region in the name, or a user can type "region" or "regional" into the "Search Within Results" box (see screenshot above).

Regions and regional responsibilities can vary from agency to agency, and not all region names and areas may match across the government.53 Agency websites may be the best resource to describe what area a regional position covers. For examples of these agency web pages, see Table 1.

Selected Examples of Regional Political Appointment Positions

Congressional staff may seek to identify regional positions in their districts or states. Table 1 below provides examples of regional political appointment positions identified in the Plum Reporting website. To identify the regional positions and contact information, links to relevant agency website pages (where identifiable and applicable) are provided in the "Relevant Agency Webpage" column. This list provides examples and may not include all regional political appointment positions.

Additionally, some federal agencies have recently reportedly announced the consolidation, reorganization, or closure of several regional offices, which could affect regional appointment positions and regional office locations. Where possible, CRS has included any recently identified announcements or status updates in the table footnotes.

Table 1. Selected Examples of Regional Political Appointment Positions Listed on the Plum Reporting Website

As of September 21, 2026

Agency

Office

Position (Appointment Type)

Relevant Agency Webpage

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

U.S. Forest Servicea

Regional Forestersb (CA)

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/contact-us/regional-offices

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/reorganization

Food and Nutrition Servicec

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.fns.usda.gov/fns-regional-offices

Natural Resources Conservation Serviced

Regional Conservationists (CA)

aa

Office of General Counsel

Regional Attorneys (CA)

https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-general-counsel/about-ogc

Department of Commerce

National Marine Fisheries Servicee

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/contact-directory/regional-offices

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Office of the General Counself

Regional Chief Counsels (CA)

aa

Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs

Regional Directors (SC)

https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/regional-offices/index.html

Department of Homeland Security

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Regional Directors (NA)

https://www.cisa.gov/about/regions

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Regional Administrators (NA)

https://www.fema.gov/about/regions

Transportation Security Administration

Regional Directors (XS)

aa

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Office of Field Policy and Managementg

Regional Administrators (SC)

https://www.hud.gov/contactus/local#regions

Department of Justiceh

Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys

U.S. Attorneys (PAS)

https://www.justice.gov/usao/find-your-united-states-attorney

Federal Bureau of Prisons

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.bop.gov/about/facilities/offices.jsp

United States Marshals Service

U.S. Marshals (PAS)

https://www.usmarshals.gov/resources/publications/us-marshals-list

https://www.usmarshals.gov/who-we-are/contact-us/district-office-contact-information

Department of Labor

Employment and Training Administration

Regional Representatives (SC)

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/regions

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.osha.gov/contactus/bystate

Wage and Hour Division

Regional Administrators (CA)

aa

Department of the Interior

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices

Bureau of Ocean Energy Managementi

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.boem.gov/regions/boem-regions

Bureau of Reclamation

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.usbr.gov/main/offices.html

Fish and Wildlife Service

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.fws.gov/about/regions

National Park Service

Regional Directors (CA)

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/organizational-structure.htm

Department of Transportation

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.transportation.gov/rural/dot-state-contacts

Federal Transit Administration

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.transit.dot.gov/about/regional-offices/regional-offices

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Benefits Administration

Executive Directors of Regional Offices (CA)

aa

Environmental Protection Agency

Regional Administrators (NA)

https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/regional-and-geographic-offices

General Services Administration (GSA)

Regional Administrators (SC)

aa

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)j

Regional Administrators (CA)

https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/maps/nrc-regions

Small Business Administration (SBA)k

Office of Field Operations

Regional Administrators (SC)

https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-newsroom

Social Security Administration

Office of Regional Commissioners

Regional Commissioners (CA)

aa

Notes: Where "aa" is noted in the table above, CRS was unable to identify an applicable agency website. For more information on the various appointment types as abbreviated in the third column of the table, see the "A Brief Overview of Select Political Appointment Types" section earlier in the report.

a. In a July 2025 memo, USDA Secretary Rollins announced that as part of a USDA reorganization plan, the Forest Service will "phase out the nine Regional Offices over the next year and implementation activities will take into consideration the ongoing fire season." Secretary Brooke Rollins, "Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan," July 24, 2025, https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/sm-1078-015.pdf.

b. On March 31, 2026, the Forest Service announced that its headquarters would be relocating to Salt Lake City, UT, and that "the Forest Service will begin transitioning to a state-based organizational model designed to shift authority closer to the field by organizing leadership around state-level accountability, supported by shared operational service centers and a unified national research enterprise. Under the new model, 15 state directors will be distributed throughout the country to oversee Forest Service operations within one or more states." For more information, see Forest Service, "Forest Service Reorganization," https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/reorganization; and USDA, "USDA Prioritizing Common Sense Forest Management, Moves Forest Service Headquarters to Salt Lake City," press release, March 31, 2026, https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/03/31/usda-prioritizing-common-sense-forest-management-moves-forest-service-headquarters-salt-lake-city.

c. In a July 2025 memo, USDA Secretary Rollins announced that as part of a USDA reorganization plan, the Food and Nutrition Service will "reduce its number of regions from seven to five and align locations with the USDA Hubs and Service Centers over a two-year period." Rollins, "Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan."

d. In a July 2025 memo, USDA Secretary Rollins announced that as part of a USDA reorganization plan, the Natural Resources Conservation Service will "align its regional structure with the five USDA hub locations." Rollins, "Department of Agriculture Reorganization Plan."

e. In March 2025, Axios reported that GSA planned to terminate the leases of several National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration buildings across the country, including a few under the helm of the National Marine Fisheries. It is unclear if these lease cancellations took place or if they affected the agency's regional activity. Andrew Freedman, "DOGE Moves to Cancel NOAA Leases on Key Weather Buildings," Axios, March 4, 2025, https://www.axios.com/2025/03/03/doge-noaa-weather-building-leases-trump.

f. On March 11, 2025, HHS announced that "the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) will consolidate the number of regional offices from 10 to four. Regional offices will be maintained in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Kansas City (MO), and Denver, which will provide the same geographic support for regional HHS offices at lower operating costs." Department of Health and Human Services, "HHS Office of General Counsel Announces Reorganization Effort," press release, March 11, 2025, https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/ogc-reorganization-effort.html.

g. In March 2025, Bloomberg reported that HUD has a "plan to close all field offices in 34 states plus the District of Columbia, and leave only six field offices open, with regional offices remaining in seven cities." According to the article, a HUD spokesperson stated, "No decisions have been finalized, however the department is exploring consolidation while continuing to prioritize service." The article notes that the six field offices that would be left open are those in Anchorage, AK; Greensboro, NC; Honolulu; Jacksonville, FL; Los Angeles; and San Juan, PR. Kriston Capps, "Trump Administration Plans to Eliminate Dozens of Housing Offices," Bloomberg, March 5, 2025, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-05/hud-plans-to-eliminate-dozens-of-state-and-local-field-offices.

h. Some U.S. Marshal and U.S. Attorney appointments may be further broken down into regional "districts" within states. This can vary. It should be noted that these "districts" are not congressional districts. Each federal judicial district has a U.S. Attorney and a U.S. Marshal, per 28 U.S.C. §541 and 28 U.S.C. §561. The federal judicial districts are also established in statute in 28 U.S.C. Chapter 5. For example, the Plum Reporting website lists one U.S. Attorney appointed to the state of Maryland and located in Baltimore but lists four U.S. Attorneys appointed to northern, southern, eastern, and western districts in New York. Each of these New York positions appears to be located in a different area of New York.

i. On July 10, 2026, the Department of the Interior announced it would reunify the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement into the Marine Minerals Administration. The Plum Reporting website still lists the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management as such (or abbreviates it as BOEM). See Department of the Interior, "Marine Minerals Administration," press release, https://www.doi.gov/mma-reunification; and Secretary of the Interior, "Establishment of the Marine Minerals Administration," July 10, 2026. https://www.doi.gov/sites/default/files/document_secretarys_orders/so-marine-minerals-administration_final_508.pdf.

j. On February 4, 2026, the NRC announced that it will be undergoing a major reorganization. It is unclear if this will affect regional offices. NRC, "NRC Major Reorganization Supports Efficiency, Innovation," press release, February 4, 2026, https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-017.pdf. The NRC's most recent organizational chart is dated September 20, 2026, and can be found at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization-functions.

k. In March 2025, SBA announced that it planned to relocate several regional offices, including those in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, New York City, and Seattle. As of September 24, 2026, the new locations of these offices do not appear to have been announced. SBA, "Administrator Loeffler Announces SBA Reforms to Put American Citizens First," press release, March 6, 2025, https://www.sba.gov/article/2025/03/06/administrator-loeffler-announces-sba-reforms-put-american-citizens-first.


Footnotes

1.

Government Publishing Office, "United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book)," https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/plum-book.

2.

U.S. Congress, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Government Policy and Supporting Positions, 118th Cong., 2nd sess., committee print, November 12, 2024 (GPO, 2024), p. iii.
3.

P.L. 117-263, Division E, Title LIII, 136 Stat. 3255, codified at 5 U.S.C. §3330f.
4.

OPM, "Plum Reporting," https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/.
5.

This name reflects language from a March 2024 memorandum released by the OPM director wherein OPM labeled the website the "PLUM reporting website." OPM, "Guidance and Instructions on Periodically Listing Updates to Management (PLUM) Reporting," March 1, 2024, https://www.opm.gov/chcoc/transmittals/2024/OPM%20Memo%20-%20Periodic%20Listing%20of%20Updates%20to%20Management%20(PLUM)%20Reporting%203-1-2024.pdf.

6.

A new federal noncareer employee category, Schedule G, was established in 2025 (Scott Kupor, Director, OPM, "Memorandum: Guidance of Executive Order Creating Schedule in the Excepted Service," July 29, 2025, https://www.opm.gov/chcoc/latest-memos/guidance-on-executive-order-creating-schedule-g-in-the-excepted-service.pdf). Positions in this category are not specifically identified in the Plum Act for inclusion in the Plum Reporting database. For a list of included categories, see 5 U.S.C. §3330f(a)(5).
7.

The salary information listed on the Plum Reporting website reflects grades or salaries in effect as of the date that each agency last provided data (see footnote 11). More information about specific rates of federal pay and locality pay tables can be found on OPM's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/.
8.

The Plum Reporting website further notes that if there is no entry in this column, the appointment has no fixed term.

9.

If this is the case, the database will typically state "Acting" underneath the name of the incumbent or beside the title of the position. See the position of Attorney General in Figure 1 above as an example.
10.

For more information on fixed term provisions, see CRS Insight IN12673, Fixed Term and "For Cause" Removal Provisions, by Henry B. Hogue and Todd Garvey. Additionally, in some cases, an individual is statutorily permitted to serve beyond a term expiration date. This is often colloquially called a "holdover." For example, a member of the Election Assistance Commission can serve "after the expiration of the member's term until the successor of such member has taken office" (52 U.S.C. 20923(b)(3)(B)).
11.

Each agency's most recent certification date is available on OPM's website. OPM, "Plum Reporting: Certification and Quality Assurance," https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/agency-certification/.
12.

Agency listings do not include agency acronyms.

13.

Component options automatically filter based on agency selection.
14.

The "position status" filter allows filtering by filled or vacant positions.
15.

For more information on this act, see CRS Insight IN11495, The Chief Financial Officers (CFO) Act of 1990: 30th Anniversary and Potential Issues for Congress, by Dominick A. Fiorentino and Clinton T. Brass.
16.

There are currently 24 CFO Act agencies. For more information see 31 U.S.C. §901(b)(1).
17.

For example, the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) position is not listed among the search results when one filters the data to see the positions listed under NOAA. However, this position does appear under the Department of Commerce, Office of the Under Secretary component and is listed as "Under Secretary Oceans and Atmosphere (Administrator National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)." This may be because the NOAA administrator position is linked by statute to the separate Under Secretary of Oceans and Atmosphere position. The statute states that the two roles will be held by one person. See Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970, §2(b), and 15 U.S.C. §1503b.

18.

As of the Plum Reporting website update of June 15, 2026.
19.

The GAO vacancy tracker is available at https://www.gao.gov/legal/other-legal-work/federal-vacancies-reform-act. The vacancy tracker includes only information that federal departments and agencies have self-reported to GAO. For this reason, the results at this website may not be complete or current.
20.

Congress.gov's nominations database presents information about nominations to presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions. While it does not explicitly identify the current status of a position, a user can determine whether the President has submitted a nomination to the Senate and what the status of the nomination is in the Senate. For more information on the nominations process, see CRS Report R44083, Appointment and Confirmation of Executive Branch Leadership: An Overview, by Henry B. Hogue and Maeve P. Carey, and CRS Report RL31980, Senate Consideration of Presidential Nominations: Committee and Floor Procedure, by Elizabeth Rybicki and Michael Greene.
21.

OPM, "Data Information," https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/data-information/.
22.

OPM, "Plum Archive," https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/plum-archive/.
23.

Historical copies of the Plum Book dating back to 1996 can be found in downloadable PDF format at https://www.govinfo.gov/collection/plum-book.

24.

For more information, see CRS Report R45635, Categories of Federal Civil Service Employment: An Overview of Appointment, Pay, and Adverse Action Entitlements, by Jon O. Shimabukuro et al.; and CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11412, Schedule Policy/Career: 2026 Final Rule, Legal Challenges, and Issues for Lawmakers, by Jimmy Balser, Mainon A. Schwartz, and Jon O. Shimabukuro.
25.

For more information on this process, see CRS Report R44083, Appointment and Confirmation of Executive Branch Leadership: An Overview, by Henry B. Hogue and Maeve P. Carey.

26.

For more information on recess appointments, see CRS Report RS21308, Recess Appointments: Frequently Asked Questions, by Henry B. Hogue.

27.

For more information on this topic, see CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11448, Trump v. Slaughter and the Future of For-Cause Removal Protections, by Benjamin M. Barczewski, Todd Garvey, and Jonathan M. Gaffney; and CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11449, Trump v. Cook and For-Cause Removal of Federal Reserve Governors, by Jonathan M. Gaffney and Todd Garvey.
28.

While the Plum Reporting website does not list district or circuit judicial positions, the United States Courts website provides a series of tables that lists recent judicial confirmations and current judicial vacancies at https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judicial-vacancies/confirmation-listing. For more information on the appointment process for appointing judges to the U.S. circuit and district courts, see CRS Report R43762, The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview, by Barry J. McMillion.
29.

For more information on this topic, see CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11448, Trump v. Slaughter and the Future of For-Cause Removal Protections, by Benjamin M. Barczewski, Todd Garvey, and Jonathan M. Gaffney, and CRS Legal Sidebar LSB11449, Trump v. Cook and For-Cause Removal of Federal Reserve Governors, by Jonathan M. Gaffney and Todd Garvey.
30.

For more information on Schedule C appointments, see "Position Descriptions: Schedule C Positions" on the Plum Reporting website at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/position-descriptions/.
31.

Per OPM, "In addition to the Schedule C positions authorized by the OPM Director, a limited number of positions may be placed under Schedule C by Executive Order of the President or by legislation…. The only time when OPM approval is not required for a Schedule C position is when a position is filled by a temporary Schedule C appointment during a Presidential transition, a change of agency head, or establishment of a new agency." See "Position Descriptions: Schedule C Positions" on the Plum Reporting website at https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/position-descriptions/.
32.

OPM, "Plum Reporting: Position Descriptions," October 8, 2026, https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/position-descriptions/#SCP.
33.

For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11743, The Senior Executive Service: An Overview, by Maeve P. Carey.
34.

5 U.S.C. §3592(a)(2).
35.

5 U.S.C. §3594(b)(1).
36.

5 U.S.C. §7543.
37.

See noncareer, limited term, and limited emergency appointment types in this report for additional details.
38.

Career reserved positions are those that involve day-to-day functions of government and require impartiality. By law (5 U.S.C. §3132(b)(1)) and regulation (5 C.F.R. §214.402), certain types of positions must be removed from political influence to ensure public confidence in the impartiality of certain government functions. Examples include audits, inspections, civil or criminal law enforcement, grants administration, and security matters, the principal duties of which involve day-to-day government operations. For more information, please see CRS In Focus IF11743, The Senior Executive Service: An Overview, by Maeve P. Carey.
39.

The most recent Federal Register notice lists career reserved SES positions for calendar year 2024. It can be found at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/05/20/2025-08853/senior-executive-service-positions-that-were-career-reserved-during-calendar-year-2024.
40.

5 U.S.C. §3394.
41.

For more information, see CRS In Focus IF12721, Presidential Transitions: Executive Branch Political Appointment Status, by Henry B. Hogue.

42.

5 U.S.C. §3134(b). For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11743, The Senior Executive Service: An Overview, by Maeve P. Carey.

43.

5 U.S.C. §3134(d).
44.

5 U.S.C. §3132(a)(5).
45.

5 U.S.C. §3134(e). This 5% cap encompasses positions in both limited term and limited emergency appointments. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11743, The Senior Executive Service: An Overview, by Maeve P. Carey.

46.

5 U.S.C. §3132(a)(6).
47.

For more information, see CRS Report R45635, Categories of Federal Civil Service Employment: An Overview of Appointment, Pay, and Adverse Action Entitlements, by Jon O. Shimabukuro et al..
48.

Some U.S. Marshal and U.S. Attorney appointments may be further separated into regional "districts" within states, although this can vary. These "districts" are not congressional districts. Each federal judicial district has a U.S. Attorney and a U.S. Marshal, per 28 U.S.C. §541 and 28 U.S.C. §561. The federal judicial districts are also established in statute in 28 U.S.C. Chapter 5. For example, the Plum Reporting website lists one U.S. Attorney appointed to the state of Maryland and located in Baltimore but lists four U.S. Attorneys appointed to northern, southern, eastern, and western districts in New York. Each of these New York positions appears to be located in a different area of New York.
49.

U.S. district and circuit court judges are presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed positions. While the Plum Reporting website does not list district or circuit court judges, the United States Courts website provides a series of tables that lists recent judicial confirmations and current judicial vacancies at https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/judicial-vacancies/confirmation-listing. For more information on the appointment process for appointing judges to the U.S. circuit and district courts, see CRS Report R43762, The Appointment Process for U.S. Circuit and District Court Nominations: An Overview, by Barry J. McMillion.

50.

As an example, entering Delaware into the "Search Within Results" box to identify positions in Delaware pulls up positions that have the word Delaware in the title, but it does not identify positions located in Delaware that do not have the word in the title, as the locations of positions are listed as cities followed by state abbreviations.
51.

As an example, entering FL into the "Search Within Results" box to identify positions in Florida pulls up positions located in Florida, individuals with names such as Florence, and positions with the word flight in the title, among other items.
52.

See OPM, "Data Information," https://www.opm.gov/about-us/open-government/plum-reporting/data-information/.

53.

For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency currently has 10 regional administrators covering 10 regions, and it lists that Region 1 within the agency includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont and 10 tribal nations. However, the National Park Service has seven regional directors covering 12 regions, and it lists that Region 1 within the agency includes sites in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia. See Federal Emergency Management Agency, "Offices and Leadership," https://www.fema.gov/about/organization/offices-leadership#regions; and National Park Service, "Contact Information: Mailing Address and Phone Numbers," https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/contactinformation.htm.